“Admiral Harry Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, has directed the Carl Vinson Strike Group to sail north and report on station in the Western Pacific Ocean after departing Singapore April 8,” the release said.

The risks of such a strike, however, are enormous. Even if the U.S. managed to eliminate North Korea’s nukes, the South Korean capital of Seoul is in range of North Korean long-range artillery. Furthermore, some defense officials, including former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, have said that a punitive strike from the U.S. could trigger an invasion of the south by North Korea’s force of more than a million soldiers.

On the media front, Bill O’Reilly continues to take incoming from all sides, and remains mute.

It’s not every day that the president weighs in on the biggest media personality on cable television. In fact, no sitting president would think of such an act, but as we all know, Donald Trump isn’t your average POTUS.

Thank the gods for SNL and Lorne Michaels.

Alec Baldwin has become an American treasure.

Updated 5.18.17: About that carrier group moving into “the waters off North Korea.” um…well… This is truly remarkable embarrassing for a lot of people. Or maybe it’s just a giant head fake for North Korea’s benefit? Reporting suggests otherwise, at this juncture, but no one really knows. It was first reported by Defense News on 5.17, with The New York Times picking it up on 5.18.

White House officials said Tuesday that they had been relying on guidance from the Defense Department. Officials there described a glitch-ridden sequence of events, from an ill-timed announcement of the deployment by the military’s Pacific Command to a partially erroneous explanation by the defense secretary, Jim Mattis — all of which perpetuated the false narrative that a flotilla was racing toward the waters off North Korea.

[…] “The ship is now moving north to the Western Pacific,” the Pentagon’s chief spokeswoman, Dana White, said Tuesday. “This should have been communicated more clearly at the time.”

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Thanks for the SNL video. I missed it but Baldwin is priceless. As to Bill O’Reilly – well, he’s a pervert and misogynist just like his biggest supporter. I don’t know if an investigation will be honest but let’s see how far they can get before someone shuts it down. BTW – what’s the latest on the House investigation of Trump-Putin collaboration? I’m rather confused about this and think the missile strike was deliberately done to take the heat off Trump. That’s why I ask what is his plan for Syria?

In the post I did on the airstrike, I wrote in bright red letters “What comes next?” EVERYONE is asking for strategy on Syria. In my analysis, we’re beginning to see it unfold, which is no different than any other administration getting their footing, only with Trump it’s more pronounced for obvious reasons. We’re seeing it through shifting power inside the White House, which is tilting away from Bannon. Tillerson’s change in language on Russia. (Ignore the source of the link. It’s an important back & forth, unedited.) https://youtu.be/Zuk8M5ThW3I The House investigation doesn’t interest me one whit, but remember, Nunes… Read more »

A resounding NO!!! I don’t expect you to change your analysis on Syria because the strike was absolutely needed. And while I don’t suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, I just don’t trust him. Can’t be helped; he’s given me too many reasons not to trust him.

I agree. Taylor’s been consistent in her views on this. It’s okay to have differing view points and discuss. And I don’t trust Trump, either – not because of any derangement, but because of his track record of lying and constantly changing his tune.

“’I’m not just talking to you, but the notion that General Mattis and HR McMaster would be party to a frivolous air strike in Syria to cover Trump’s political ass is scurrilous and, to be blunt, ignorant, with a side of Trump Derangement Syndrome. ” Well, Malcolm Nance must be ignorant, then, Taylor. Check out his twitter from 4 days ago. I also heard him say it on tv, just not sure which show it was. It’s really not out of the realm of possibility, seeing Trump lies constantly. I’d like to think this is not the case, but who… Read more »

Malcolm Nance is NOT ignorant, but you need to read that tweet as 2 conflicting thoughts living in the same space. To repeat, people need to work on holding conflicting ideas in their heads at the same time. Nance’s tweet proves he can balance 2 opposite ideas at once. Other people need to try it. Nance also said on “The 11th Hour” that the military objective was a failure. It’s the same thing McCain said. It’s also why I said that Trump needed to use Obama’s initial plan, but the president, instead, chose a warning shot. Going on… Mattis &… Read more »

“He had a gut reaction to tortured children dying under Assad’s gassing them.” Funny, he didn’t when many more were gassed in 2013. He was strictly hands off. I don’t really know Tulsi Gabbard, other than she was for Bernie. I thought you liked her. I know foreign policy is complicated, and truly, more likely than not, there are several reasons going on all at the same time for actions taken. But really, Taylor, how do you know any more than I do, what Trump’s real motivations are? All you have is his track record and past tweets and speeches… Read more »

Once Ms. Gabbard had a meeting with Assad she was persona non grata for me. Her subsequent appearances, especially lately, have been offensive. Trump has been reported as having a gut reaction to what he saw. It’s not me saying this, it’s the reporting. He wouldn’t be the first man who assumed the commander in chief role to change how he feels. George W. Bush wanted a “humble” foreign policy, then 9/11 happened. I’m from Missouri and NO ONE imagined Harry S. Truman had the chutzpah/balls/gall, whatever you want to call it, to drop nuclear bombs on Japan. What I… Read more »

Mattis does seem like a straight shooter, from what I’ve seen. You have a point about presidents changing their minds once they have to govern, rather than campaign. It’s just that this particular one takes the cake. With GWB, if he had stayed on Afghanistan, it would have been one thing. But his administration took advantage of the situation to go into Iraq. I fear that kind of thing could happen again. I don’t know why Gabbard went to Syria – I find it puzzling. She’s a veteran, too. Well, Taylor, time will tell with all this. I remain skeptical,… Read more »

Tulsi Gabbard has disgraced the mantle of “veteran.” Hawaiians need to primary her and defeat her. Democrats need to disavow her, which Howard Dean, as well as Neera Tanden, have both done. I’ll leave you with this from today’s critically important press conference at the Pentagon with SecDef Mattis and U.S. Commander Votel: “… There is a limit, I think, to what we can do, and when you look at what happened with this chemical attack, we knew that we could not stand passive on this. But it was not a statement that we could enter full-fledged, full-bore into the… Read more »

lynnette, my husband who is a retired military officer said that the generals have an oath to the Constitution and if they felt the president was out of wack with his requests they would resign after they tried to convince him that what he was requesting was against the Constitution or the national interest. As far as Tulsi, I asked my son in Honolulu what he thought of her and he says she sways with the wind and is a grandstander. Doesn’t think much of her anymore. He said when she was first elected he liked her but then after… Read more »

Some of you may be interested in this. https://www.murphy.senate.gov/rethinking-the-battlefield An excerpt RETHINKING THE BATTLEFIELD A strong American military is still vital to guard against conventional security threats, but many of the emerging threats to global stability cannot be checked with military power alone. The threats posed to the United States have changed. The global challenges the United States faces have transformed. Our adversaries have adapted. Given this changed world order, why does America refuse to rebuild its foreign policy toolkit? Why has America’s foreign policy not adapted too? This document lays out the blueprint for rebuilding U.S. power with a… Read more »

What a good read. There’s an awful lot to digest but some of the suggestions are awesome. Coming from the part I played in international health especially maternal/child health, child survival and family planning programs from the late 70s to the end of the 20th century, we tried our best to bring the best of health care to people in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and parts of South America. We thought it was working but depending on who was in office at the time we would see our budgets (which weren’t terribly impressive to begin with) either expand or… Read more »

That’s the sad part of all this. We had so many opportunities to avoid the havoc that the world is experiencing now. I loved my work; passionate about it and I would do it all over again. I found out that women, especially, no matter where they lived, wanted the same things for their children that I wanted for my children – food, education, security, a roof over their heads and clean water. I never saw the color of their skin or cared about what religion they followed. They were just human beings to me. And I do miss it.

Thank you, Taylor and I’m proud to know you because you are so damned honest. BTW -my 3 “eagles” landed at Toronto’s Pearson Int’l airport last night and will be home tomorrow after briefing with MSF. I’m so proud of these young people. They were in Turkey (as I suspected) for 12 weeks and I can’t wait to see them and hear the things they experienced. The family had mixed emotions about their going but if you knew my grand daughter – oh my God, that young woman is absolutely fearless. She plans to go back this summer as long… Read more »

Yes, but how does a 37% budget cut in the State Dept. accomplish this? And from what I’ve heard, all the top diplomats, career service, have resigned. I don’t see this administration putting any money into the humanitarian, diplomatic side of things. Hell, they don’t want our own people to have health care.

I did a quick Google and Wikipedia search on the Carl Vinson and what it brings. Holy Guacamole! DESRON1 it’s “normal” accompaniment of surface ships has six Arleigh Burke destroyers attached to it. But even that was not enough so they tacked on the USS Bunker Hill, yet another Arleigh Burke just to show they mean business. Also attached, though no-one is bothering to mention it is a Fast Attack Submarine and a refuel ship / ammo ship. The formation has a ready supply of beans and bullets sailing right next to them. This is gun boat diplomacy on a… Read more »

I know, Spin! I looked it up as well. If Kim ever hit Seoul the US would be in a major war on the Korean peninsula that would surpass anything happening in the world today. It would be catastrophic. As for China, one thought has been amusing me since the weekend. … Imagine China’s Xi Jinping at Mar-A-Lago, sitting there having to swallow Trump playing world leader while learning about the Syria strikes for dessert. #awkward. China’s in so much trouble economically, I imagine they don’t know what the F to make of the Madman at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Did… Read more »

Anyone hear Spicer at today’s press briefing on Hitler and Assad? He said Assad was so much worse than Hitler as even Hitler didn’t use chemical weapons on the Jews (who were sent to “Holocaust Centers”). And as an added bonus, Ivanka played into her father’s decision to send 60 tomahawk cruise missiles into Syria. As I said before, watch for Ivanka to be the next vp. 😉

White House Press Secretary Spicer apologizes after comparing Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad to Adolf Hitler
“I made a mistake. I’m owning up to it,” Sean Spicer told NBC News Tuesday evening. “And you know, this is, obviously I expect, I’d hope, that everyone understands that we all make mistakes and ask for forgiveness.” Earlier, speaking from the White House podium at the daily press briefing, Spicer had said that Adolf Hitler did not use “gas on his own people the same way Assad used them.”